Burnt Sugar
by thoughtless dreamer
Summary: DISCONTINUED. 'I'm going away for a little while...write me a letter when I'm gone'. It began with a simple letter and a promise, but turned into so much more. Is this promise one they can keep? AU AkuRoku, RikuSora, Zemyx. Rated for yaoi, content, language.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Je n'ai pas le propriétaire de Kingdom Hearts. C'est ennuyeux, non?

Jessie: **Tosses confetti **I_ LIVE!_

Joh: Eh?

Jessie: **Pauses **I'm finally posting.

Joh: Oh. **Resumes Petz**

Jessie: I'm sorry I haven't been writing like… at all lately, you guys. I've just been swamped with work for the most part, and my choral group has been getting tons of requests, so we've been doing concert after concert—and it's kind of hard to write backstage, y'know?

Joh: That doesn't stop you from drawing though…

Jessie: **Grins** No, no it doesn't. Some of my fellow choristers have quite the talent for coming up with ideas for fluffy/smutty yaoi pictures. An' I luff them for it.

Joh: Hooray for yaoi!

Jessie: W00t!

J twins: **High-fives**

Jessie: So anyways, I've been trying to put my ideas together to make a new fanfic (coughmoreiscomingalong,Ipromise), and then out of the blue, _**bam!**_ I get totally inspired to write a _completely different multi-chapter_ story.

Joh: Orly?

Jessie: Yeah! So, we were watching this Louis and Clark movie in history, when this dude named Sergeant Floyd says something that I, for some reason or another, find particularly touching, and I start crying.

Joh: Wow…

Jessie: Yup.

Joh: I'm gonna go work some more on my new KH fic…

Jessie: 'Kay, and I'm gonna stop wasting these people's time with this author's note... Geez, this is a really long pre-word…

Joh: Ya…

Jessie: If you're still reading this…I only have one last significant message for the moment: YAOI FTW!

_(Yes, I FINALLY figured out what "FTW" stands for. Go me!)_

**Warnings:** **Yaoi**, language, implied character... "death?" (You'll know what I mean if you're a KH fan)

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The moment Axel walked into Number XIII's bedroom Roxas knew that there was something terribly wrong. The roguish demeanor that the redhead generally radiated was replaced with a much rarer solemn one. The usual swagger in his step was gone, so his steps were reduced to a sluggish pace.

The moment the blonde had heard his lover's approaching footsteps, he had made to get up to greet him; however, his strange behavior caused the teenager to stop short, and remain rooted to the spot by his bed, watching him approach.

Roxas frowned, and opened his mouth to question what was wrong, but was cut off by the sudden action of The Flurry of Dancing Flames wrapping his lanky arms around his small torso; pulling the smaller Nobody flush against his chest and burying his face into his blonde hair. Roxas froze, mouth agape, until slowly, the frown on his face melted away to be replaced with an expression of confusion.

Finally, after a good few minutes of enduring his embracing, Roxas pulled away, faintly noticing how the redhead's grip tightened ever so slightly before he was reluctantly released from Axel's grasp.

"Axel, what's wrong?" he asked firmly, albeit gently.

"Nothing's wrong, Rox," Axel replied too quickly, his hands twitching slightly at his sides as though he were longing to touch his lover again. At last, he gave into the temptation, and Roxas felt Axel's restless hands settle at the small of his back.

Blue eyes narrowed in suspicion at the obvious lie, and the blonde pulled back again to study Axel's face, noticing for the first time how his face was carefully crafted into a mask that was wiped clean of all expression.

"You're lying."

Axel didn't reply—opting instead simply to capture Roxas' lips in an unusually gentle kiss.

At once Roxas began to protest, pressing half-heartedly at Axel's shoulders and opening his mouth to object to his boyfriend's actions; he should have known better, however, as Axel took the opportunity to slip his tongue between his lips, starting a battle for dominance between the two boys.

It wasn't too long after until Axel's ministrations triumphed, and Roxas found himself loosing all of his previous inhibitions in the moment and melting into the increasingly passionate kiss.

Roxas found himself letting out a yelp of surprise as he stumbled backward onto his mattress, distantly registering that Axel had somehow managed to maneuver them over to the bed even as they were completely absorbed in one another.

He suddenly became all too aware of Axel's mouth assaulting his neck with surprisingly needy bites and kisses, easily locating every spot he knew his blonde lover to be especially susceptible to.

"A-_Ax_…el," Roxas tried again, biting back a moan that was quickly rising in his throat in response to Axel's ministrations. He wasn't used to the gentle pace that Axel was obviously trying to initiate—ironically, he found it to be all the more arousing.

The redhead blatantly ignored him again—the reaction which finally provided Roxas the indignation needed for him to regain the will-power necessary to push the fire-wielder away again, this time successfully.

"Axel: we are _not_ going any further until you tell me what's bothering you," Roxas ground out.

"_Damn_ it Rox—I said _nothing's_ _bothering_ me, okay?" Axel retorted angrily. Roxas' eyes widened slightly at the desperation he heard in the redhead's voice before narrowing once more. Axel let out a low growl before determinedly fixating his glare at the wall as to avoid meeting Roxas' intense gaze.

"Look at me," Roxas said quietly. Axel ignored him, although Roxas swore he'd seen Axel's eyes flicker in his direction ever so slightly before returning his gaze to the spot where he was seemingly trying to bore a hole in the wall with his sharp stare.

"Axel. Look at me."

Eventually, concluding that Axel was only going to continue to be difficult, Roxas lifted a hand to touch the side of Axel's face, noting how the muscles in Axel's jaw became taut beneath his fingers. Gently, he guided Axel's tattooed face towards his so that, for the very first time since he'd walked in, their eyes met.

Roxas felt his breath catch in his throat at the overwhelming lack of emotion in Axel's eyes. Axel's glazed jade eyes stared into his own sorrowfully; looking very nearly as though he'd lost all reason for living.

Axel's lips trembled before they managed to form a single word.

_Sora_

Understanding washed over Roxas like a wave.

He'd known that it would only be a matter of time before issues concerning Sora arose.

He just hadn't imagined that they would develop so _soon._

"Roxas…?" Axel questioned quietly, as though asking for permission to continue once more.

Roxas didn't respond verbally; instead threading his fingers in Axel's long, silky red locks and crushing their mouths together in a bruising kiss. Roxas felt the relief that must have washed over Axel, and the kiss all at once become much gentler as the taller Nobody responded in silent thanks.

Axel's lips attacked Roxas' collarbone with renewed vigor, and soon the pale skin of his lover's neck was littered with bites that would surely show for a good few days. Roxas who, for the most part, usually tried to hold back the moans and gasps that Axel tried to elicit from him (knowing that Axel would only tease him about it the following day) made an acceptation this night; openly moaning in appreciation as Axel's palm brushed against his growing arousal.

Impatiently Roxas began to unzip the long black cloak that enveloped Axel's entire body; catching on quickly, Axel began to work on ridding Roxas of his clothes as well. It wasn't long until their cloaks and the rest of their clothes lay in a crumpled heap on the floor by Roxas' bedside.

Roxas shuddered as Axel traced his lips down his bare chest, tightening his grip in Axel's hair in anticipation. He squirmed uncomfortably as he felt Axel's breath tickling his thigh, and his brow furrowed as he heard Axel chuckle quietly in response. Axel pressed one last, teasing kiss to Roxas' member before taking him fully into his mouth all at once.

Roxas' eyes dilated, and a long, broken moan escaped his throat as Axel hummed softly, dragging his tongue down Roxas' length before repeating the action while tracing light circles on the insides of Roxas' thighs.

His lover's combined actions proved to be too much for Roxas to handle, and he came with a loud moan; his back arching up into what seemed to be an impossible angle before falling back down limply onto the bed.

Axel crawled back over the blonde and studied him intently even as his hand reached into the drawer of the bedside table, groping blindly for the lube they kept there— soaking in the image of Roxas panting; half-lidded eyes clouded with lust.

Roxas started abruptly at the sensation of one lube-coating finger pressing into him—in response, he snaked his arms instinctively around Axel's neck. Axel felt Roxas' small frame tense as he added a second digit and, after inquiring if he was alright and receiving a curt nod in reply, added a final finger.

At long last, Axel gently hooked Roxas' right left over his shoulder and positioned himself at Roxas' entrance. Emerald and azure met as they studied at each other.

"Roxas…fuck impossibility. I love you," Axel whispered; his breath hitching in his throat as he gazed almost reverently at the blonde beneath him.

Roxas stared at Axel, momentarily speechless; he was stunned at the overwhelming amount of emotion he heard in his lover's voice that they, as Nobodies, were not supposed to have.

Then, at last—

"I love you too, Axel," Roxas gulped, a tremulous smile spreading across his lips as he looked up at Axel.

With one last gentle kiss, Axel slowly pressed into Roxas, his lean body hovering over the body beneath his as he waited for Roxas to adjust.

Roxas let out an involuntary gasp before he closed his eyes and grit his teeth against the familiar pain; hands clenching and unclenching at sides. A weak smile managed to play on his lips as he registered one of Axel's hands grasping one of his own; entwining their fingers lovingly.

After a few more minutes, Roxas eyes fluttered open half-way to reveal glazed cerulean eyes.

"I'm okay," he said faintly, trying to catch a glimpse of Axel's face; but the wetness clinging to his lashes made his vision blurry, and he had to blink a number of times before he could register Axel's concerned expression.

"Now?"

A squeeze of his hand and a tiny smile was all the encouragement Axel needed before he carefully pulled out and plunged into Roxas again. Gradually the two settled on a somewhat slower pace than they would usually take, trying to savor their time together as best they could.

A few minutes later and Roxas' initial pain was a forgotten ache as Axel almost immediately found the bundle of nerves that sent waves of pleasure coursing through his body. The two groaned loudly as Axel thrust deeper--Roxas, with his head tossed back over his shoulders, at the near unbelievable pleasure and Axel at the sight of his lover's expression full of bliss as they moved together in a synchronized fashion.

Roxas' eyes snapped wide open as Axel grasped at his member; pumping him in time to their trusts until it is too much for Roxas, and he releases with a wanton scream; Axel coming a mere heartbeat later.

Axel pulled out from the body beneath him and collapsed beside Roxas, carefully moving him so that he was pulled flush against him as they relished the afterglow—waiting for their non-existent pulses to slow down from their erratic tempos.

"I'll find you, Roxas," Axel said suddenly.

"Hmm?" Roxas shifted his head slightly against Axel's chest, and Axel craned his neck slightly so that he could glance down at Roxas who stared up at him wearily from where he was comfortably settled in the larger Nobody's embrace.

"I said I'll…I'll find you. I'll find you in the next life," Axel vowed right then and there, smirking before the following words that Roxas knew were coming tumbled out of his mouth.

"Got it memorized?"

Roxas swallowed past the painful lump that had suddenly appeared in his throat, and offered Axel his best smile.

"I got it memorized."

Sleep claimed the exhausted Nobodies not too long after, aided by Axel's uncanny warmth due to his natural element and the comfort they found in each other's embrace.

The both of them now knew that they wouldn't have each other much longer in this life.

Yet that didn't mean they couldn't look forward to the next one.

XxXxXxXxXx

Axel trudged into the room sopping wet, cursing the seemingly endless rain that was failing in The World That Never Was the best way he knew how.

As he looked up expectantly into the room for the first time, he froze; only just now realizing that his feet had led him instinctively to Roxas' room instead of his own. He winced harshly, as the mere thought of his ex-lover's name sent a pang of agony shooting through his chest where his heart should be.

His lifeless emerald eyes scanned the familiar room, which hadn't been touched since...since…

_Roxas_

Axel's fists trembled at his sides as he tried to breathe in deeply to calm himself without accidentally summoning a wave of flames (for a third time that week--poor Demyx still trembled in memory of that unfortunate accident each time he encountered the lately irate chakram-wielder).

Once he'd managed to get his grief under control once more, he decided to permit himself one last look around the room before he abandoned it for good.

He wandered about aimlessly; unconsciously raising an eyebrow at the way the bed remained unmade—typical Roxas behavior…it seemed as though he would be returning at any moment; waltzing in through the doorway and catching sight of Axel standing in the middle of his room and asking _who the hell gave _you_ permission to come in here on your own accord, dumbass?_

Axel smiled faintly before a glower overcame his features once more—he shook himself from his wistful thoughts and made to turn away from the bed, opting to leave it as it was for now. He absentmindedly slid his fingers over the surface of the pillow nearest as he turned—and he immediately froze at the sound of paper fluttering to the floor.

Oh so slowly, he turned to look at the floor by his feet, where a slip of paper had come to rest.

A paper which bore his name in a certain Nobody's handwriting.

Feeling suddenly distant, Axel bent over to pick up the letter with trembling fingers, holding it as though it would disappear at the lightest touch, and unfolded it.

It simply read:

_Axel,_

_I'm going away for a little while…write me a letter when I'm gone._

_All My Love,_

_Roxas_

The corners of Axel's lips twitched slightly before quirking up in a weak smile. He let out a quiet chuckle, which gradually grew into a full-fledged laugh.

He held the letter over his chest where his heart should be, laughing in his liberation; laughs which eventually gave way to and mixed with loud, heavy sobs that racked his entire body; never minding the tears that slid rapidly down his checks, conflicting with the grin plastered onto his face.

Because if waiting meant seeing Roxas again…

He could wait a little while longer.

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Jessie: **Dazed** _Wow_…I actually just wrote this entire thing up in one sitting.

Joh: Whoa…

Jessie: I think talking to you inspired me.

Joh: Eh? Really?! I feel special…

Jessie: **Huggles** As you should, darling; as you should. Sooo…tell me how you liked it so far—this is just the prologue, people; this is gonna be yet another "Akuroku in the next life" stories. But I love them, and have wanted to write one for some time now…so yeah, I guess I can start here.

Joh: Wait! Before you forget!

Jessie: Right, right, right; okay, one more thing people; just one more, I promise:

If you **favorite** a story, or put in on **story alert**, that must have mean something about it struck your fancy, no? We'd really appreciate some **FEEDBACK** A.K.A. "**REVIEWS**" if you like stories enough to **favorite** them/put them on your **story alert**. I think I speak for all authors when I say that we really would like to know what it is that pleases the reader so that we can gain some experience from the writing, and work on improving our writing.

That's all for now, folks

_**Please review!**_


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I may not own Kingdom Hearts, but hey—I help to supply you all with your regular yaoi fix. What more do you want from me?

Jessie: That's right—I'm back to working on this fanfic for the first time since…since…

Joh: You can't remember the last time you were working on this, can you?

Jessie: **Blushes** You're… you're not helping…!

Joh: Aww, Jessie, you're so cute** Snickers**

Jessie: …Thank you, sister-mine. But back to the subject at hand. You can all thank the lovely _**Kiki Lelsissia**_ for this update, as the inspirational review she left me was what at last convinced me to get back to work on this story.

Joh: **Nods **Yeah, Jessie was so happy when she first got that review that she felt she had to tell me right away.

Jessie: **Beams** Yup! So, hope you all enjoy!

**Warnings**: Language, mentions of alcohol, and angry text messages.

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Strobe lights flickered crazily across the stage, the thousands of people present screaming their approval when smoke began to rise from the floor as the beginning chords to the first song for the night blared from the amps, veiling the platform in a bright shroud.

The crowd's already deafening cheers rose even higher in volume as the main attraction of the night gradually came into focus at center stage as the fog began to ebb away.

The video feed that went into the two huge screens that hung from the sides of the stage switched from dizzying footage of eager fans to the face of an all too familiar blonde.

He grinned, lifting an arm in a casual greeting, his sapphire eyes sparkling ever more in the spotlight as he took in the vast audience before him.

At last, his fans' shrieks of excitement changed from something that resembled what you might hear if all the animals in a circus got loose to a chant of his name.

Positively beaming by this point, the teenage heartthrob let his eyes wander idly across the faces in the first row, enjoying the occasional particularly piercing shrieks of excitement that occurred when his gaze met a fan's every so often.

Finally, the familiar beats that came just before the first verse began sounded, and the boy raised his microphone to his lips; parting them to take a breath and--

_x_

_XxXxX_

"_**Roxas! Wake up, sleepyhead!"**_

_XxXxX_

_x_

It was with extreme displeasure that Roxas Hikari forced his tired eyes open, lifting his head to blearily glare at his surroundings, intending to kill whatever—or whoever—it was that had shaken him from his blissful dream.

He let out a groan, however, when he found himself face to face with a pair of identical, albeit happier, blue eyes. Of _course_ the one person who had the nerve to wake him in such an irritatingly chipper manner would be the _only_ person he could never bring himself to hurt in any way, much less kill—his twin brother.

"Sora. Could you just clear up one small thing for me? Where the _**fuck **_do you get this energy each and –_**every**_– fucking morning?" Roxas moaned, yelping angrily when Sora experimentally yanked at a corner of the blanket that was wrapped tightly around his body, very nearly pulling the blonde off the bed in the process.

"Language, Roxy!" Sora chided happily, before placing his hands on his hips and leaning down to beam at his sullen brother.

"And as for your itty bitty issue with my good attitude in the mornings—it only makes sense that _one_ of us has to be the morning person, baby brother!" Sora declared as he settled himself on the very edge of the bed, bouncing slightly where he sat—easily dodging the half-hearted swipe Roxas sent his way in response to the affectionate nickname.

"'Sides, we've gotta gig tonight, remember?" Sora continued happily, hopping back to his feet, snagging the blanket as he skipped a few paces away from the bed (or, out of Roxas' reach), giggling at Roxas' vehement protests.

"Whatever," Roxas muttered groggily, reluctantly sliding out of bed—linking his fingers and fluidly stretching his arms up above his head as he yawned; his loose pajama bottoms barely managing to cling to his hips with the motion.

"Way to sound excited," Sora teased before a more serious look overcame his usually smiling features.

"But really—whatever's not an option right now, Rox. You know just as well as I do that we've gotta give these gigs our all…right now, they're our only hopes for getting anywhere. So try an' make the best of it, awright? It's what we've been doing for two years, and it's paid off so far!" Sora finished with a smile, giving his brother a one-armed hug before skipping out of the room, cheerfully yelling something about burnt cereal.

Roxas stared after his older ("by three minutes,Sora_, damn it!_!") brother for a few more seconds, reveling in the sudden quiet of his room before turning to his dresser to search for an outfit suitable for both the day and that evening's performance.

At last he settled on a pair of baggy black jeans, held up by a silver studded belt. He was in the middle of pulling a form-fitting black tank over his head when the silence was once again shattered by the belated blaring of his radio alarm.

"_Another day, is going by,_

_I'm thinkin' about you all the time--"_

"_**DAMN IT, SORA, I HAD FIVE MORE FUCKING MINUTES!"**_

"_--But you're out there, _

_And I'm here waiting."_

"The early worm gets the bird, Roxy!"

"_**THAT'S NOT HOW THAT SAYING—ARGH!"**_ Roxas broke off angrily, stomping over to silence the alarm, yanking his shirt down with one hand while his other raked through his messy blonde spikes in a vain attempt to tame his terrible case of bed head.

"_And I, wrote this letter, in my head,_

_Cuz so many things were left unsaid--"_

Roxas' hand froze mere inches from where the OFF button was, fingers pulling back hesitantly as he regarded the radio with a suddenly contemplative look.

When Sora had first bought the alarm clock for his brother (to replace the once he'd spilled a soda on), he'd set it to his favorite hit music station. Coincidentally, this happened to be the very same channel that Roxas loathed.

And lo and behold; neither of them could figure out how to change it once the deed was done.

"Just look at it as extra motivation for you to get up in the morning—if only to turn it off" Sora had offered brightly, looking extremely pleased with himself for coming up with such a (in his mind, at least) brilliant solution.

Roxas tended to hate much of today's pop music, claiming that it all sounded the same—that there were no original ideas anymore.

But _this_… this was new …

…That voice…

"_--But now you're gone,_

_And I can't think straight."_

…Somehow, it seemed familiar…

"Roxas, c'mon! The cereal's getting cold!"

Sora's yell shook Roxas from his stupor, and he reluctantly turned the radio off, frowning when he processed was Sora had said.

"Sora, cereal's _supposed_ to be cold!"

"Oh…seriously? Wait… you mean I wasn't supposed to cook it for the last ten minutes?"

"_**SORA!"**_

X X X

"Leaving? What the hell do you _mean_ you're leaving?"

Stormy blue eyes blinked in mild surprise at the sudden outburst before rising warily from the near-completed game of Sudoku to the male across the table from him, who was grasping the red cell phone he held to his ear with the same desperation one would a life line.

"…The fuck does _that_ mean? What _'other priorities?'_ We've been working our asses off to get where we are now for _years!_ You can't just fucking quit the band, on us, on _me,_ Larxene," Axel seethed after a lapse of speech where the blonde woman had seemingly been trying to reason with her band mate.

"…Y'know what? Fuck you. I've had enough of your bullshit," Axel finally snarled into the phone, hanging up and chucking his mobile at the wall—but not even the sound of cracking machinery managed to sate the redhead even slightly.

Axel raked one shaky hand through his wild spikes while his other began fishing in his pants pocket for a carton of cigarettes. One of his many lighters appeared in his hand in a flash, and he raised a stick to his lips, desperately fumbling to light it—the tension in his face only beginning to ebb away once he'd drawn in a deep breath and exhaled.

"…It's not ideal for you to smoke right before a rehearsal, Axel," Zexion observed quietly, eyes intently following the plume of smoke that rose from Axel's parted lips, his nose wrinkling unhappily. The slate-haired scholar was rather sensible to smells.

Axel actually paused for a moment, drawing the cigarette away from his mouth to regard the nicotine fix he held easily between two fingers before returning it nonchalantly to his lips.

"Whatever, what the _fuck_ ever," Axel said vacantly, suddenly looking exhausted. Usually vivid, emerald eyes were dull and listless sent Zexion a fleeting glance before he looked away, pushing himself up to his feet and grabbing the carton on the table before his feet lead him to the door, pausing to retrieve his cellular and slipping it back into his pants pocket.

"I'm going for a walk," Axel's muttered belatedly after having slammed the door closed behind him before he began trudging down the hall that led to the studio they were relaxing at.

Zexion let out what would have been a hopeless sigh had he been anyone else, before turning his icy gaze to the ceiling.

"Again--just what _exactly_ was I thinking when I signed myself up for this job?" Zexion murmured to himself, shaking his head wearily as he completed his game of Sudoku, turning the page to look wistfully a new one before setting the book aside to retrieve his sleek cell phone from his pocket. He pressed speed dial before lifting it to his ear, waiting the mere beat or two it took for the other to pick up their phone, before speaking quietly.

"Axel will be there in a half hour…yes, I _know_, he's late; I_ am_, after all, the one who scheduled the band's rehearsal time at that particular studio, remember?"

A minute smile stole across his lips at their response before his lips pulled downwards into a worried frown once more.

"But I believe we've had a rather problematic turn of events…"

XxXxXxXxXx

"Heeey, if it ain't my two favorite mini-Strifes! How ya'll doing, kiddos?" a slightly inebriated brunette called happily from where he was sprawled at the bar.

"Hiya, Irvine!" Sora greeted over Roxas' less enthusiastic "Stuff it, Irvine" (though he _did_ seem to be having trouble keeping the corners of his lips from lifting).

"Good evening, boys," Tifa welcomed pleasantly, appearing through a doorway behind the bar, alerted to their entrance thanks to Irvine's rather loud greeting.

"Hi, Tifa… you mind if we go set up now?" Roxas asked, toying with the strap of his guitar case where it was slung over his left shoulder.

"Be my guest—it's nearly five thirty anyway," Tifa shrugged, before glancing up when a patron sat down at the counter.

"I've gotta go for now—we're starting to get busy—so you two just do your thing and I'll give you your check for the week when you're heading out, kay?" Tifa suggested, returning Sora's bright "okay!" and grin with a soft smile of her own before sauntering over to her place behind the bar to tend to the customer.

"I'm gotta go set up my drum kit," Sora said, nudging his brother to gain his attention and then flashing him a grin before rushing ahead to retrieve his set from where it was carefully stored in a corner by the piano.

Roxas let out a sigh as he carefully slipped his beloved electric guitar from its case and took a seat on one of the bar stools to tune it to the correct key for the first of their songs for their hour-long performance.

It wasn't that he didn't appreciate Tifa's willingness to both let them play _and_ pay for the entertainment—quite the opposite, in fact. Roxas knew how very lucky he and Sora were to be employed regularly at the popular bar and lounge. Honestly, they had no one to thank but their older brother Cloud. It was the quiet-natured blond that had recognized his brothers' talent and suggested the arrangement to his close friend, who had latched onto the idea at once after she'd heard them play for her one day.

"Really, I was getting sick of that Roger…y'know, inspiration for a new song would just hit him, and he'd just go on and on…it was lovely at first but, well, it got old fast—especially when he ended up offending one of my… well, she wasn't by any means a _favorite_ customer, but she was rather lucrative, that Cruella DeVil," Tifa had explained flippantly to the shocked pair of twins.

He was grateful, he really was! It was just…

Yeah, he wanted more. And he knew Sora felt the same way, despite his enthusiasm for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.

"Roxas!"

The blue-eyed blond snapped out of his thoughts at Sora's impatient call, and he strummed his guitar once, nodding to himself in satisfaction before hopping down from the stool—he couldn't help that he was a bit on the scrawny side for his age, damn it!

Sora stepped aside to give his brother access to his spot before the microphone after he adjusted the stand to Roxas' height. Then, giving him a quick thumbs-up, he settled at his drum set and picked up his drumsticks while Roxas hooked his guitar up to the small amp Sora had dragged over for him when he had set up his drums.

Roxas raised his eyes to the bar as he fished in his pockets for a pick in hopes of catching Tifa's eye; sure enough, as soon as she finished refilling Irvine's glass she glanced up, saw him looking at her, and hastened over to where they were waiting, lifting the microphone from its stand and smiling warmly.

"Good evening, everyone," she began, scanning the fifteen or so people seated around the space. "I hope you're all having a fine time tonight, but I'd like to take a moment or two to introduce tonight's entertainment. Now, I know our regulars are well aware just who these two talented people are, but for those who don't, please welcome Sora and Roxas Strife."

She snapped the mike back into its hold on the stand before bowing slightly and stepping down to sit at the bar with a loudly cheering Irvine, whose cowboy hat had slipped forward, covering the entire right side of his face (yet for the life of him, he couldn't seem to grasp just why his eyesight was suddenly impaired).

Roxas looked over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of Sora once last time, who was idly twirling his drumsticks between his fingers, nodding when Roxas' mouthed the name of their first song to confirm what they were starting with.

He closed his eyes, listening to Sora tap his drumsticks together to establish the beat before strumming the opening chords, playing the short instrumental introduction before he parting his lips and began to sing.

XxXxXxXxXx

In reality, Axel _didn't_ show up to rehearsal thirty minutes late.

No, the band member chose not to bother showing up to the scheduled rehearsal _period_. So Zexion would throw a hissy fit (and quite possibly maim him). So what? Axel didn't need to see the expressions on his friends' faces when he told them the news—that lovely job could go to dear ol' Zexy.

What Axel _needed_ was a miracle.

Or a drink. Miracles could wait; what he really needed right this second was a drink.

He'd ended up quickly regretting his mindlessness when he'd stormed out of the studio. Rule number one for a rising celebrity—when in public, blend in.

And blend in Axel certainly did _not_. Blending in had never been the rebel's style, and now he was paying for it. Thankfully he'd remembered that he was wearing a black hoodie (after the thirteenth autograph request) and so he'd casually wandered into an alley to pull up his hood to hide his vivid spikes as best he could and slip on a pair of sunglasses that had been stuffed into his jacket pocket before continuing down the city blocks.

He figured he must have been doing a pretty good job of going incognito, for he hadn't been bothered since.

The redhead had begun looking around for a bar the moment the desire for a drink had hit him, and after a good five blocks of fruitless searching, he was relieved to glimpse a familiar-looking building he quickly remembered was a bar his older brother had once pointed out to him, it being one he frequented with his best friend and coworker.

Axel pushed through the front door just in time to hear the lounge's live entertainment burst into song. Right now, however, alcohol came before music, and so the musician took a seat at the counter beside a beautiful brunette.

Wait a sec…beautiful, brunette, and—yep—rather busty? Hadn't Reno come home and started blabbering to him for an hour about some chick whose stature she fit perfectly the very first time he'd visited the bar?

"_Was it…Trinity? …No, Tina …?_ _Wait a sec, wait…'_

"Uh, Tifa?" Axel tried, and promptly gave himself a mental pat on the back, as the pretty bartender promptly turned around—

Only to narrow her eyes at him.

"_No_, Irvine, I'm _not_ giving you your keys ba—_**oh!**_" she gasped, flushing slightly.

"I'm so sorry, that guy a seat behind you has been whining to me for the past five minutes to give him his car keys back, which is a _**no-go**_," Tifa bit out, looking pointedly at the snickering man, before reguarding Axel with an curious look.

"I'm kind of confused though; I'm sure I've never seen you come in here before--how you know my name?" she asked.

"I've got an older brother who's a regular here. His name's--"

"--Reno, am I right?" Tifa smiled, laughing when Axel nodded with a slight grin.

"I _knew_ I'd seen that whole red hair, bright eyes look recently," she joked.

"So you are…?"

"The name's Axel; commit it to memory," he said, the well-practiced line rolling easily off his tongue.

"Axel, huh?" Tifa repeated, gracing the younger redhead with a sly smile.

"So, _Axel_, what can I get for you?" Tifa asked, slipping onto her feet and sidling around to the other slide of the bar.

"Something hard—don't really care what. Just…gimme your strongest," Axel sighed, distractedly raking his fingers through his red strands. Tifa sent him questioning look which he pointedly ignored in favor of slipping a hand into his pocket to retrieve his phone which had started buzzing… kinda angrily, actually.

Huh. So it hadn't broken, after all.

He cursed softly to himself when he flipped his phone open, only to reveal the numerous angry texts his band members (and an especially infuriated manager) had sent him, slamming the phone down onto the counter and proceeding to ignore all further messages, glowering at the annoying device.

The redhead gave a slight start up when a glass was clunked down noisily in front of him, offering a mumbled thanks before reaching out to lift his glass, ready to down the whole thing in one go.

_If someone said three years from now  
You'd be long gone,  
I'd stand up and punch them out  
Cause they're all wrong and…  
_

Axel froze as the singer launched into the final chorus of the song that was being performed, the rim of his glass cool against his lips. His eyes immediately snapped to the back of the space, where he'd caught a glimpse of a drum set being assembled.

_That last kiss  
I'll cherish  
Until we meet again  
_

His eyes alighted on a small blonde who was playing an electric guitar as he sang into the microphone…

_And time makes  
It harder  
I wish I could remember  
_

His eyes closed as he performed with a passion he'd never seen save in himself and his fellow band mates…

_But I keep  
Your memory  
You visit me in my sleep  
My darling, who knew?_

That took his breath away.

"So Axel, mind if I ask just what the leader of a rising band is doing all alone at a lowly bar such as this establishment, lovely as it may be?" Tifa asked casually, her voice as well as the loud applause of the other customers startling the musician out of his stupor.

"…Shit, you recognized me?" Axel groaned, glancing about quickly to see if anyone else had become aware of his presence.

"Calm down, calm down—you're secret's safe with me, geez," Tifa hastened to reassure him, waving her hands defensively.

"You obvious aren't exactly in the mood for swooning fans, I can see that. But _damn_, why didn't Reno ever mention his younger brother was gonna be famous? Come to think of it," she continued in a murmur, "he never even _mentioned_ having a brother…"

"Psh, he's just jealous," Axel scoffed, before downing the entire glass in one go as he'd originally planned to. He set the now-empty tumbler down onto the counter with a loud _thunk_, meeting Tifa's mildly admiring gaze purposefully.

"So," he began offhandedly, jerking his thumb towards the back, where the boys who had been performing were taking their bows to an enthusiastic audience.

"Who're those two?"

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Jessie: Sooo…the first chapter's a _bit_ longer than I'd originally planned.

Joh: **Shrugs** Nothin' wrong with that.

Jessie: I guess not… but man, am I glad to finally post this! The only reason I even got this done was because I _finally_ found the time; but _only _with my being sick.

Joh: Poor baby… but hey, at least we found out that funny thing about your voice when you're sick

Jessie: Joh and I find it amusing that apparently, when I can't breathe through my noise due to the fact that my head is completely stuffed up, I sound _exactly_ like JenxtheJinx of _Demyx Time_.

Joh: It's _funny!_

Jessie: Not as funny as my impeccable timing where phones are involved.

Joh: True, true.

IshizuWolfRider: Thank you so much for all your lovely comments! And yes—thank you, Testuya Nomura, for practically making AkuRoku cannon. I agree; it _almost_ doesn't feel right to twist their lives around for our own amusement. Keyword being _almost_. I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

CodeLyoko: I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far—and I'm glad the smut in the first chapter was up to your standards.

Rainbow-Jess: You were instantly awesome for sharing my name, but reviewing, too? You're on my super-cool list right now, dear! I'm glad you like it, too!

Rachael Anne: Oh don't worry—I _love_ seeing such enthusiasm in reviews; it always makes me wanna update faster, seeing how much people look forward to the continuation. And I apologize _profusely_ for the ridiculously long wait, but I hope you've retained your enthusiasm. Thank you so, _so_ much for all your supporting words, and I hope I continue to please!

Contemplation Indigo: First of all, wonderful penname you've got there. The next thing I wanna say is thank you--for sharing my sentiments that yes, this story _should_ be continued. I hope my work remains up to your standards!

kelle611: I…I _think_ the chapter following the prologue is the first chapter…I mean, that's what I've always thought…oh dear me, now _I'm_ confused! And thank you so much for keeping this story on your alert for all this time its taken me to get this story moving again; it means a lot to me! I admit, I _was_ going for a tearjerker of a prologue, so don't take it the wrong way when I say I'm pleased that you did cry a little—I'm just relieved that it apparently had the desired effect. Thank you for your review, and I hope you continue reading!

tifaxfinalxheaven: Hooray for AkuRoku indeed

Kiki Lelsissia: Darling, I'm not kidding when I say that the only reason this is even up at present is because of you--your review really inspired me to kick my brain into high gear, wrestle my writer's block and get this story moving again. And I love you for that. I'm pretty sure I've told you this before, but that review you left made me tear up because it touched me just _that_ much. I truly hope that you continue to enjoy this story at least just as much as you have the prologue.

C3LLO: I'm so glad you really felt that part of the description, with Axel's laughs becoming sobs; I worked really hard to get that to sound just right. And thanks for adding this to your story list—it means a lot to me!

I'd Do Anything © Simple Plan, Who Knew © Pink

_**Please Review**_


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